Zac Poonen - Dying To Self And Entering Into Rest

the worst of the song would be read over the past few years as we know a sort of a guide for me to know whether I'm living in the presence of the Lord so the way I've read it is Psalm 16:11 the words we memorized in your presence is fullness of joy I believe that it's the Holy Spirit says now so I say to myself any time in my life when I don't have a fullness of joy I'm not in the Lord's presence that's a fair deduction from that verse and which means that something has gone wrong it teaches me that God's will is that I rejoice always like it says in Philippians 4:4 because he wants as always to dwell in his presence so if I make that a law or a rule for my life any time I lose my joy even slightly I will immediately say hey is it not because somebody else did something or said something is coming nothing to do with anybody else he's gotten to the fact that somehow I slipped out of the Lord's presence and I'm not in his presence anymore so that's the most important thing to get back into the Lord's presence where as very often when we lose our joy we're thinking of blaming somebody else or some circumstance and trying to fix that what we need to face is that we're not in the Lord's presence and we turn to that song before that verse 11 comes is verse 8 which is a prophetic reference to Jesus where it says I have sent the Lord continually before me because in his presence there's fullness of joy so I've set the Lord continually before me and when he is continually before me he'll also be at my right verse eight and I will not be shaken when the Apostle Peters spoke about preach the gospel on the day of Pentecost when he spoke about his life in Acts chapter 2 he said about Jesus being nailed to the cross verse 23 and 24 God raised him up again and then he quotes this verse Psalm 16 verse 8 he says David said about him I saw the Lord always in my presence verse 20 able to make the full of joy in your presence so this is how Jesus lived Peter quotes that verse because he saw it in Jesus life then Jesus life was always full of joy even on the last Dave wedding before he went to the cross he told his disciples my joy I give unto you yet so much even though he's no he knows he was going to be crucified the next day so I don't know how many of us take this seriously that if I lose my joy if not in the presence of God if you make it a law for your life I can tell you your life will be better your whole life will be happier and better your fellowship with other believers will be better you will stop blaming other people and circumstances you'll hardly ever get upset with anyone or anything because fullness of joy see it's only if we prove it that we can talk about it and I can say that for many years I was a defeated Christian I've been discouraged and I didn't know what joy was and I was born again and I think that's a condition of many people that's gone from my life I can stand before God and say it's gone from my life of baking because I took these verses seriously and anytime I slipped up I'd say that's not I'm not a good president I draw what's wrong please show me I refuse to blame anybody else that refused to blame circumstances I have left your presence and when you read the Gospels what the Lord was trying to teach his disciples you know all those miracles that he did was not how to do miracles because they never turned the water to wine in the axial bustle they never walked on water they hardly ever raise the dead in fact Timothy had a stomach problem which Bob would never care about he came with a couple and told him take some medicine so that's not the main reason why he did those miracles I see the main reason why Jesus did those miracles first of course it was an attestation that he was who he claimed to be the Son of God but also to teach his disciples one simple lesson I remembers taking a study of all the miracles Jesus in the Gospel of John and my title for that series was God can solve any problem that's what he was trying to teach the designers there's no problem you can face which I can't help you to solve that's the essential thing it's not turning the water into wine or walking on water but whatever problem you're facing God can solve it there's absolutely nothing that God cannot solve imagine if you are convinced about that in your life because many of us know you're busy problems all the time for me signals would be problems and related to our world problem the radio our children or other people or neighbors or colleagues at work and what is there that God cannot solve whenever they came to him with any problem Lord there's no food for the multitude okay there's not enough wine here and marriage is going to be a fiasco or some blind man and whatever it is you'll never find any situation ready the scratches there's a boy that's a tough one and it's the same today he is the same yesterday today and forever you can put up with any problem people who say hey I don't know how to have that that's too tough never never never never so if I'm convinced of that I can miss the future knowing that my savior if I really seem to dip in his presence part of the reason why I pulled a some joy is because I see I cannot encounter a problem for the rest of my life which God cannot solve imagine facing the whole future like that I don't know what problem I face tomorrow next year you're up for now and you're after next but I'm absolutely convinced my heavenly father can talk at all there is nothing that he cannot solve in the Old Testament they didn't have a Savior like this they didn't have a friend like this they didn't have a father in heaven they didn't have someone who told them I'll never leave you nor forsake you and things like that or make everything work together for your good every single thing would work for your very best there were no such promises in the Old Testament so we have not as Christians I believe you're not rising up to the limit God wants us to live all did he lived there he said thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and we are more than conquerors through him who loved us it's amazing the statements in Scripture which we read memorize in his presence is fullness of joy and we go on to the next verse next week and this verse is not fulfilled in a light so I want to encourage you to take his words seriously because I'll tell you and read the Bible for 16 years and I never took his words seriously but I got so fed up with my divided life at one time and I said Lord I really want to come to the life that Paul had the midst of all his persecutions and imprisonment he said rejoice in the Lord always he wrote that from a prison Philippians 4:4 nothing any anxious that was written from a prison it's amazing and I say Lord if that man could be why can't I even if we don't believe that Jesus was like a sport was certainly like us we can live like him and so I just thought I'd share that with you I put on my heart this more after goodness concerning to what I've called commandments of the Old Testament one was two very important events in fact it was so important that if you didn't do them you'll be cut off from God's position and the other was keeping the Sabbath they were so very very very important and I'll show you two verses imagination first as Genesis chapter 17 [Music] Genesis chapter 17 these were commandments given to Israel they're not for us Christians but everything in the Old Testament had a spiritual meaning and that's what I want to emphasize 17 the Lord did this commandment Abraham and verse 11 you shall be circumcised the flesh of your foreskin and be the sign of a covenant between me and you the site of the old covenant between God and the people of Israel Abraham Isaac and Jacob that the sentence was circumcision and if if a person was not circumcised was 14 17 14 he shall be cut off from my people he has broken my covenant it was that serious he could not be part of God's people in the Old Covenant if you are not circumcised and the other commandment was a Sabbath and I want to give me one example of somebody who broke the Sabbath they were not supposed to do any work on the sabbath day they're not supposed to light a fire I'm not supposed to really have a party but listen to this numbers in chapter 15 now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness verse 32 numbers 15 and verse 32 while the sons of Israel were the witness they found a man about them gathering wood on the sabbath day he didn't light a fire he knew that you're not with light a fire he just gathered the word prophet for the next day and they found him gathering wood brought up to Moses and Aaron and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be laughter serious I mean with the Lord said you should not do any work of the Sabbath day that it include just picking up pieces of wood and then the Lord this because it is not going to be done the Lord said to Moses visit events verse 35 the man shall surely be put to death and the whole congregation it's not an easy way to be to put it at the congregation must show that they agree with God by taking stones and stoning him to death outside the cab and the all of the congregation it's amazing how obedient they were they took him outside the cab and stoned him to death what was his crime he picked up some is the wood on the Sabbath day I'm just trying to show you how strictly God enforced this manner of doing any work on the Sabbath day we really got instilled into the minds of Jews and I heard of a Jewish person somewhere in the United States would have to get a Gentile from next door to come and put on the switch in his house so here are two Commandments in which God was so strict you mean cut off from the covenant you'll have nothing to do with God's people if they're not circumcised and if you pick up sticks on the Sabbath day you do you do some work on the Sabbath day you are cut off so these two Commandments must have a very very equivalent must be of some equivalent importantly it's a New Testament reading so that's what we want to try and understand I just want to show you how important that was to the Old Testament first so in Hebrews chapter 8 we read this verse though we are not under the Old Covenant which has got what God gave to Moses at the law yet the Old Testament is three quarters of our Bible don't forget that and the Old Testament does not mean abolished the Old Covenant the agreement between God and man has been abolished would not be 37 books of the Bible in fact just by the way for your information there's no place in the Bible which lets the 37 books sorry 39 books are the Old Testament so man has just put it there the Bible is 66 months you won't find a single place where it says the first 39 books are Old Testament right look for it so that's why a lot of people get confused we noticed when it opened it's basically the same word covenant Testament it's the Covenant that God made with man that's been abolished but the Old Testament is a part of the Bible what we call the Old Testament those 39 books are part of the Bible and there's a lot of things all Scripture is inspired by God and give the right structure we can learn from that that's why we look at these two instances of circumcision I haven't not even chapter 8 it says here that these give some commandments of the law the last part of verse 4 speaks what was up with the gifts according to the law and all of that were spying is a copy and a shadow of heavenly things so a lot of those things in the Old Testament are a shadow of the reality which is up in heaven and that's why Moses was warned by God when you make the tabernacle make sure you make everything exactly according to the pattern which has shown you on the mountain don't alter it saying this may be this may look better now because it's a pattern of something and they're having and if you change if you violate you'll go against that pattern as I have but that's the point here so I mean the Moses would be entrained in Egypt how to make Pyramids at all he could have been a better time actually have got it left it to him but it would not have been a pattern according to the it wouldn't mean according the heavenly pattern if we recognize that principle that so many things taught in the New Testament also may be always a better way to do that there's a better way to conduct our meaning there's a better way to do things that the way the Holy Spirit is shown in the New Testament you see for example there are many things we do which many other churches don't do for example we don't have a faster because the entire New Testament no church was no pastor was appointed in a church so we say okay if that's a better than we think we want to follow it every church at elders I don't mean all of that we try to follow that because we say it's this we don't want to change something if it's subject it's got something connected with heaven I mean our own mind busy this is a better way but I don't want to use my own mind if Moses had done that that would be known it may have looked a more fantastic Tabernacle if he had done it according to thee the engineering ability he learned in Egypt but the glory of God would have been missing that's what's happened in so many places where people have gone against what scripture says looks nice the glory of God is missing beautiful tabernacle only thing missing is the glory of God beautiful church with mourning God is not there the presence of Jesus is not there people come to the meeting they don't go away saying hey we met with the Lord today lot spoke to our heart that's not there he sang well they're great the music was great the instruments were all right I see you have been with the Lord it did speak to you he didn't challenging you didn't convict you of sin he didn't show you how it can be an overcomer what is the point having got something meeting at all so it's very very important so coming to the meaning of these stools rituals or commandments circumcision first what does that mean Philippians chapter 3 and verse 3 he speaks in verse 2 about a false circumcision beware of those of the false circumcision and that is those who just believe in the external ritual the external form this is that's not the main thing that symbolizes something which is a true circumcision verse 3 we are the true circumcision and what is the mark of those who are in the true circumcision we worship in the Holy Spirit now worship in the Holy Spirit is different from praise in the Holy Spirit or Thanksgiving in the Holy Spirit of praying in the Holy Spirit praying is one level thanking God is another level phrasing is another level worship is a much higher level most Christians know about prayer some know about Thanksgiving a few more know about praise and they call a praise and thanksgiving worship it's not it's different prayer pray Thanksgiving praise question worship is an altogether different level it's the fourth floor you can climb up to the third floor and say this is worship it's not you've missed out one floor completely that's what happened most Christians I used to call her praise and thanksgiving worship so I missed out on the fourth floor completely because I thought there is no no so he speaks about worshiping in the Holy Spirit which is different from praying in the Holy Spirit and banking in the spirit that praising God in the spirit worshiping in the spirit I don't have time going to never adults and glory in Christ Jesus and here is the Marcus true circumcision we put no confidence in the flesh the false circumpolar circumcision which commanded by God was a cutting off of the flesh and casting out to the physical cutting off of the flesh and casting it out now in the New Testament and the Old Testament the word flesh had only that meaning physical flesh you've cut a person's flesh but in the New Testament the word flesh has got another meaning which is the main meaning in the New Testament and that is myself will myself it's called the flesh and you get a little understanding of that when you turn to see when it says no confidence in the flesh you need to understand what is it beep it's not talking about in the physical place that I don't have any confidence that my hands are my physical flesh see Galatians chapter 5 whenever you whenever you come to a difficult verse in the Bible don't skip over it there's a great truth that you might miss out there if you skip over it but if you stop and try to understand it you may discover something which is so if she can see something doesn't seem to fit with you what you understand you've got to stop there and say there might be something here which is hidden which I got to discover I remember many years ago I think more than 40 years ago was a friend of mine who used to work for Kodak photography company which is a big company those days he was in the research team and he was doing an experiment with something and he was the research team and the answer he was getting didn't seem to fit with what he thought it should be in this research so he was tempted to fudge just make it fit so that looks okay but he was honest and he said I won't do that and so he went away for a while and thinking why didn't that work like that why didn't it fit like that and while he's away you got a ring a brainwave that hidden something said a maybe bits because of this and so he came back into the research lab and did that experiment in and tried it again it infinity and he discovered something as a result which was a new discovery for Kodak in which they used for interpreters which they would not have discovered and he would not admitted it if you just fetched the result and made it look right so I thought of that in relation to scripture that sometimes you see something doesn't seem to fit exactly and you somehow manipulate it and make it fit you miss out something completely which God wants to show you there in Scripture see like for example all those who are Calvinists who say that God for ordained us from eternity I believe with all my heart I was foreordained from eternity chosen before the foundation of the world but I'm not a Calvinist I believe in 1 Peter 1 verse 1 in 2 it says I was chosen according to his foreknowledge that's the one verse one thing of what Evers wanted to do which most gardeners won't touch because you've got to fight it a little bit to make it fit in with the other verses what is it difficult words but the truth is there if you want to understand it you must ever sovereignty of God in us also understand 1 Peter 1 verse wanted to then were chosen from eternity according to the foreknowledge of God God of the see the future that's just by the way but here we read in Galatians in chapter 5 or 17 are talking about the flesh the flesh sex is defense against the holy spirit and the holy spirit fights against the flesh it's not my body the Holy Spirit fights against is something else in me that the Holy Spirit is fighting and if you want to understand the meaning of flesh you can see it right here it is something the Holy Spirit is fighting in me all the time so if I understand that I'll understand more the flashes and these are in opposition to one another the holy spirit in the place so my flesh is something which is 100% against the holy spirit they get it understanding my pledge it's not my body my hand is not against the Holy Spirit eyes are not against the Holy Spirit is something else in me which is 100% authorities word at which the Holy Spirit is hundred percent against if you understand that you understand what the flesh is and you'll understand what circumcision is cutting off invaders I'm just going to step by step so that all of us can understand and then you'll understand what it means when it says Jesus came in the flesh he didn't come in sinful flesh there's no sin in him at all but he came to the pledge and all these things will fit in if you understand what flesh means so many years I've tried to see Lorna there's something here which I need to understand it's not of the surface you've got a deep deep in the scripture to understand you would indeed live before God and be absolutely honest and get rid of all preconceived doctrines that I've inherited to my parents and grandparents or church I belong to if I have if I'm not willing to break away from inherited theological traditions I'll never understand the truth I really believe that many Christians miss out on God's will because they've inherited certain theological traditions from that church that is more sacred to them than even God's Word the Martin Luther had followed that principle we'd all be Catholics today and in John Wesley had followed that principle that we know preaching on holiness I thank God never through the years and centuries men who had the courage to stand against the established system and say God's Word says something else like Martin Luther said God's Word says we are justified by faith in Christ not by putting money in the catalogue of remarks so if I understand this what flesh mean what does it mean when they said Jesus came in the flesh I got to understand what flesh let's see John chapter 6 John's Gospel chapter 6 and verse 38 John 6:38 Jesus is saying why he came down from heaven when he came down from heaven he came in the flesh he didn't have the flesh up in heaven no God is spirit and Jesus was equal with the father of all eternity the second person of the Trinity but one day he came in flesh that's when he came down to the earth and he says when I came down to the earth I decided never to do my own will but always the will of the Father I came down from heaven never to go my own way and you see that the last day of his life and yet cemani father I really don't want to bring this cup that's Mike with you I people don't go to get 70 and say Lord Jesus what is your will right now I don't want to bring the cup I going to do that no I don't do the father's with whatever it is I'm just trying to clear in my mind what is the father's with I'll do that and if it's painful it doesn't matter and still do it so you see that there was a conflict says he prayed for more than one hour he was brave or anything else he says he said the same words father not my will but time you know it was not like that in heaven he didn't have the flesh in heaven in heaven for all eternity Jesus could say I do my own will because it's the same as my mother's with no conflict my middle is the same as my father's will I do my organ see you and I agree on something percent I can do what I want to do because the same as what you wanted correctly Jesus would do body Monica because it's the same as as far as it was but the moment he came to earth in the flesh could say no I can't do my will anymore I have to do my brother's will shows that there was a difference so his self willed he said I will not do it do not do my will but I do the Father's will that is what is the flesh and that is what the Holy Spirit is against the Holy Spirit is against my doing my will myself will is another definition for the flesh and circumcision is to cut that off completely not partially they were very careful that in the Old Covenant that the circumcision had to be 360 degrees not 90 degrees circumcision or 180 degree salvation had to be 360 degrees completely otherwise it was a partial circumcision not acceptable I have no confidence in the flesh means around I say no to my own will and that is the way to follow Jesus there is no other way to follow Jesus I mean there are people who tried to make easier ways but they're already ception if you turn to Luke chapter 9 verse 23 jesus said so hearing me if anyone wants to come out to me if anyone wishes to come out rule is absolute anyone anyone anyone he must say no to his self he must deny or crucify or put to death his self his flesh and then take up his cross died to himself and follow me that is the absolute unchangeable law for anybody who wants to follow Jesus so how I think there are so many Christians who they're following Jesus who do not say no to their own self-will do you know how many times central is the cause of clash between husband and wife at all what are the causes of all the clashes in husband and will it is self will my village do people with a strong will trying to live together they always have clashes and the only way for them to become one he said both are willing to be crucified with Christ there is no other way all the marriage techniques and counseling in the world will not solve the problem but being crucified with Christ will solve it immediately and that's not a once for all event because he said Jesus said you better do it every day thing in other words if I died to myself yesterday that was good enough for yesterday but not for today I have to take up my cross daily now these are the verses which for many years I never heard it being preached them hardly any church how many times have you heard consistent preaching I'm taking up the cross every day it's something you got to do every day don't you think there should be a lot more emphasis on it in Christian churches how much actresses there is in nowadays or healthy foods don't need you know trans fats and don't eat too much sugar so much emphasis and we are so careful to see the things that are helpful for our body but the things that are harmful for our spirit you don't seem to take too seriously the only book that can tell us what's honking for us is the Bible so it's total circumcision is I am going to put my flesh to death every day and that's why as wiving why we preached it so often I remember when I was about 23 years old I was seeking God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit I was at the Brethren Assembly I got converted when I was 19 and a half I need 59 and the first thing I needed to learn was to take water Baptist because I came from an orthodox church around sprinkled as a baby and so once I got a light on what about doesn't like to water baptism and in the Brethren assemblies I was taught to study the scriptures I really thank God for that but they never taught me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit the foolish the Holy Spirit they say that's all happened if you don't ask her to do anything well I said okay I was a new Christian I was young and I accepted it but somehow there's a lack of power in my life and however much I convinced myself I got it I got it I got it I did have power in my life I was scared to be a witness for Christ and I didn't have power I saw to witness for Christ and I saw a lot of other people around me also a lot of people didn't seem to have the power of resurrection Jesus spoke about the meetings I went to were like you know the Saturday on when Jesus was buried in the grave can you imagine how that Jesus the disciples met around a lot of the church meetings were like most Saturday meetings when Jesus was buried in the grave all okay including here what a different meaning it was on Sunday after the resurrection nice and I want that type of meaning I want to be in that type of meaning delighted Jesus result man is conquered temple is conquered sin is conquered death he's got everything but it wasn't like that and that can only come if you're filled with the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is one who brings a reality of these things into our life so I began to see God for the baptism in the Holy Spirit call it what you like fullest Holy Spirit equally good for me fullest of the Holy Spirit I went to a Pentecostal church because they suppose the guys talk about this I'll tell you honestly this is 1963 and that guy asked me to repeat some hallelujah number of times I'll do that that's not what the Apostles did on the day of Pentecost this is all manipulation I will not submit it I want to genuine in humans with power from on high I don't have that I don't want any thing just get a testimony that I was rude I want power to be a witness for Christ so I decided not to go there again there's a lot of noise there that wasn't interested noise I was introduced in power so I came back to my room I was the naval base those days and I said Lord that's not what I want I don't want a lot of noise and a lot of excitement I want power in my life to be a witness for you I began to search the Scriptures was amazing way the Lord gave me a revelation which I had never heard before and when I looked at the baptism of Jesus when he was anointed even he needed to be anointed Jesus was born of the Spirit the day he came to earth for his anointed with his spirit 30 years later something happened he didn't become holier in his 31st year than he was in his 29th year but he had power to do things he never did for thirty years thirty years he'd never cast out a demon never healed the sick never preached powerful sermons now it all came all of a sudden it was not a gradual process it immediately so I saw this there's something in this the same they haven't the disciples on the day of Pentecost so when I looked at the baptism of Jesus the Lord showed me give me a revelation on that Jesus submitted to John the Baptist putting him under the water now putting him putting person out of the water is the way to kill somebody by the way you know this waterboarding they torture people with is actually threatening the guy you're going to die now so this was sort of permanent waterboarding Baptist and when you read Romans 6 that we are buried with him by baptism into death so what Jesus I saw that what Jesus was submitting to there was I am willing for people to put me to death physically on the cross later but prior to that myself you can put it to death by insulting me by spitting on me by calling me meals ago offerings of the Devils are calling me a demon-possessed person they call about that today there are Samaritan I'm willing to let people insult me do anything to be offend me ignore me put me to death and he would not resist John the Baptist baptizing him that is the meaning of baptism I submit and God allows somebody else to put me to death I will accept it because I know God will raise me up from it that's the meaning of being brought out of the water I'm sure God will raise me up just like he raised him up from the grave every time somebody puts me to death I submitted because I believe gotta raise me up I'll experience the part of his resurrection in a spiritual way and then the anointing of the Holy Spirit came upon him and what the Lord spoke to me I have never forgotten for the last fifty five years the Lord said to me if you choose this way of death to self my power will rest upon you always in your life when you breathe whatever you do but the day you decide not to go this way my power we departed so I learned something the close connection between the way of the Cross depth to south and the holy spirit and I believe this is what many people who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit have missed maybe they've got a fulness of the Holy Spirit but they divorced it from the cross from the way of the Cross and what God has joined together let no man put asunder the Holy Spirit's fullness and the way of the cross go together I see that in the baptism of Jesus when he submitted to death to serve the Holy Spirit came so this manual cutting out of the flesh and having no confidence in the flesh is very closely connected with being filled with the Holy Spirit so it's very very important that's why circumcision was so important in the Old Testament they said if you not circumcised he'll be cut out for my people you will not enter into the covenant so when you apply that to us in the New Covenant it means that if I don't take this seriously this going the way of the Cross and cutting out confidence itself putting my flesh to death and the different situations would have provoked but I'm tempted I'm tempted to pornography watch pornography that's the old flesh again my own self will say I will look at that and what I do put it to death right away from it but I'm tempted to respond in the same way somebody speaks to be an anger or evil or any other way something like Jesus did let that fellow bury you let that fellow kill you put you to death there will be a resurrection I guarantee that you will experience because God will never allow somebody to put you into that water without pulling you up definitely I've experienced it again and again began again when Paul said he connected these two you know them being conformed to his death on the part of his resurrection see Philippians in chapter 3 some of these verses come to light when you understand this Philippians in chapter 3 he says in verse 10 is the look to me remember he's writing this when he's just about six seven years before he died and he'd already served the Lord for thirty years and he says in Philippians 3:10 my great passion in life is to know the Lord more and to know the power of his resurrection and I can know that only if I have fellowship in his sufferings and I'm conformed to his death you see the connection there he's not talking about being crucified or was never crucified he's talking about this death to south this circumcision which he spoke about earlier in Chapter two he's explaining it here the this death to myself being conformed to his death Jesus died for thirty three and a half years to himself otherwise I can't he can't ask me to follow him what does he mean when he says take up your cross and follow me that means he also has taken up the cross otherwise how could I follow him it's like he's not gonna make it more difficult for me than for him it's like you know this egg and spoon race okay you carry an egg a brother I'm gonna run without it but you come with make it a spoon apology how can I do that I can't run as fast as you I wouldn't carry an egg in this you're just gonna run without it so Jesus didn't have to take up the cross how can you say to me take up your cross and follow me he's ridiculous he did take up the cross himself every single day that's why he says everyday you can follow me and that is being conformed to his death and Fellowship of his sufferings where I cut off all confidence in my pleasure I said no to myself you can meditate on that it's a very profitable line of meditation because the part of the Holy Spirit lies along this way don't forget it and the second thing is a Sabbath I want to go to that town the Sabbath is another thing which is a very important law the Old Testament God taught them so clearly right in the wilderness by putting that fellow to death you just went and picked up sticks absolutely no work zero when I say zero I mean zero okay it's explaining Hebrews chapter 4 you know all these things which are very important tests were are explained in the New Testament for example the whale that was ranked in the temple the tabernacle explained Hebrew statements and look at that another time but Hebrews chapter 4 it says here there is a life of rest he's speaking as well as begin a chapter 3 who are the ones verse 16 the groceries sixteen we're the ones who provoke God those who came out of Egypt and how would they provoke him by not entering Canaan when he brought them to the borders of came in two years I believe he did and he was angry with them for forty years and he's sinned and verse 19 they could not enter the land of Canaan because of unbelief what does he unbelief they leave the Giants were stronger than God believer that's why they didn't enter in Joshua and Caleb were not more powerful than those giants they just believe our God is more powerful of these Giants the others looked at the Giants said we can't conquer them they thought they had to do it in their own strength now Joshua and Caleb said no God is more powerful this is God's honest I think like bread for us that's what he said so it was unbelief that prevented them from entering Canaan and that entry into Canaan and living in Canaan his carnal life of rest or a land of rest because you want to say which is this entering they were not able to enter verse 19 they perished in the wilderness and the next verse says they could not enter into this dressed so Canaan is called entering into his rest you see what connection is that got to the Sabbath yeah it says in verse 4 chapter 4 verse 4 God rested on the seventh day from his words and this passage where his fine day should enter into my rest so the land of Canaan entering in the land of Canaan was like an entry to a reliable crest and it's connected with the Sabbath in verse 4 God rested on the seventh day and then it says in verse nine there is a Sabbath rest for the people of God as well for that the life of rest for God's people a life free from unrest agitation getting disturbed in my spirit that's unrest there's a life of rest for God's people what a wonderful thing it is to live like that in the world full of unrest he arrests in a spare novel and there is a rest for God's people but it says here let us fear rulers 1 for watching that we don't enter into that rest let us fear is he talking to unbelievers or believers he started to believers he's talking to people who came out of Egypt they put the blood of the door they were baptized in the Red Sea they received the baptism of blood which is a picture of the baptism the Holy Spirit they still did not enter into rest he's referring to us he says let us fear lest in your life you don't come into this life of rest just like those Israelites who didn't enter into Canaan and it says here there is a Sabbath rest for God's people and we must be diligent it says to enter into this rest let us fear let less become short dips verse 11 let us be diligent work hard to enter into this rest so it's not something that you just sit back and say aloud let me work hard verse 11 to enter into this rest say Lord I don't want I want to understand this I want to understand this and what is entering into rest is what does it mean to come into the Sabbath rest in my art which is for the people of God and he says this is if Joshua verse 8 had already given them rest in Canaan why is it that God speaks up another rest after that you know after they entered into Canaan the Lord told them in Hebrews 4 3 which is a quotation from the Old Testament you shall not enter into my rest that is our 95 and again he fixes a certain date so he says in Joshua verse 8 Alex given them difference why should you speak another day of rest after that that is the rest for God's people some prophecy the Old Testament that they can't drink a man was only a picture there is a rest for God's people so that's what we need to understand the Sabbath and we go back to Matthew chapter 11 we begin to understand this verse Matthew 11 verse 28 and 29 where Jesus spoke about this rest come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls twice he speaks about that rest it's a life where inwardly I've never believed it or not for I've never disturbed or in a panic inwardly it's a lie for instance an amazing way to live on this earth that's how Jesus lived he was perfectly addressed no matter what happened anywhere around you remember the Garden of Gethsemane how Peter got all upset and took out his sword and chopped off somebody's here Jesus was at rest Peter I have a feeling that Peter wants to actually keep Judas Iscariot's here but being a fisherman he didn't notice a sword his wife somebody else is here that poor man Falcons so Jesus picked up here and heal him but Jesus was at rest he said put your sword back I don't see Judas Iscariot here I see my heavenly father an eccentric come but you know what he said turn the cup which my father has given me that's what he said it would get something shall I not drink it say Lord was it the father of Judas Iscariot who gave it to you as only the mailman it came from my father it's wonderful to see that when I do this Iscariot comes to betray you or harm you he's only the mailman is the father who sends it that difficult you call it difficulty or in opposition or wherever it is Jesus was at rest this is follow me take my yoke upon you you'll find the same rest for your soul it's wonderful to be able to experience this in the trials of life you know God allows us to face trials to show us that he can still those storms I thought of supposing it was written in the scripture Jesus got into the boat and went to the other side of the lake and it was perfectly calm the other side and some boring story you know the sunday school children say about interesting listen to that but if they read there was a storm and the waves were coming into the board was going to sink Jesus Stood Still that's something we listened so what sort of message do you want through life that's written about your life he had smooth sailing all to his life he had no problem his work you know flies off no problem with his neighbors no problem financially no problem is sickness absolutely nothing smooth sailing all through his life of course he lived 50 years and he learned nothing of God's power but he reached the other I don't want that to tell you honestly I don't want that I want to say storm Lord when you storm this month next week continuously and every time Jesus will still the storm that's for sure God can solve every problem I believe in the Lord who can still the storm see there's no I remember hearing about competition for a painting competition for a picture of the rest I don't know the alertness there's so many we put pictures of a calm sea not a regular at nice sunset pictures like this everything calm and none of them got the price and the one that got the price was the chap who threw a painting of a terrific storm all over and a little hole in a Robert Byrd with the silicon I believe that is a picture of rest that's the one that got the prize and I can believe that all the other things that everything's comes not that's not how the world is we face problems in order others just come to me I'll give you rest take my yoke upon you that again is the same the yoke is the cross you take my cross like I took it and you will find rest in your soul you will not be disturbed and upset you will not be anxious for anything I don't know how to explain it when I believe you gotta experience it to realize it and in the connection with this I would also read what it says in verse 25 I praise you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth you hidden these things from the clever intelligent people who try to understand what this rest is but you were wheeled into Papes if you come to the Lord like a babe say Lord I don't know what the rest is but I want to have it in my life and if it's a passionate desire of yours and you're willing to take the yoke of Jesus see this yoke is something the disciples understood easily because they saw the farmers in Israel plowing with two oxen and then with this wooden yoke on both of those oxen and if they if a senior ox had to teach and say when I was dying and they got a junior ox how to teach that junior new harms out of flour straight furrow the senior ox would say okay take my yoke upon you symbolically and then yoke I'm the senior ox and figure out who doesn't know her or tail out of flour straight furrow and senior ox as I was saying learn from me walk at my face don't rush ahead don't stay back walk instead with Niko in the direction I'm going and in a few years you'll be an expert at plowing a straight bar that is the picture you take my yoke upon you and learn from me how to absolutely straight without any crookedness in your life and you will find rest in your life that means I I must say Lord I want your will in my life I don't want to go out there there but I feel like I want to be yoke to you every single time I don't want to go anywhere but I cannot go without grad to go without you I don't want to sit and watch a television program but I can't have Jesus sitting next to me watching it and enjoying it as much as me I mean if he has to get up and go when I turn on that channel I say I want to get up and go to the turn off that channel this is what it means to have the yoke of Jesus abundant I read a book then I come to a page and I see a man imagine Jesus looking at this picture of this page I shut the book and throw it away or I say Lord I want to have jesus with me all the time all the time I went once to a religion not to villages or part of India where there were some born-again Christians but they all used to smoke cigarettes now that's unusual because most other parts of India we believers don't smoke cigarettes but in this particular place it was sort of out of the way in the hills and not many preachers had gone there and whichever creature went there probably smoking cigarettes himself I don't know so they all have that habit but they were good Christian so I didn't know how to tell them this is valid so one day I was seven days meetings there a night this guy was translating for me into the local language and I said see whatever you do we must do with Jesus for example I said if you're smoking a cigarette you know how many from this prophecy did they always take our offer you want so next time you take out a cigarette offer one to Jesus say what this is really this is really Filter Cigarettes special you must try it and if you think he will smoke in coherence but if you think inside oh thank you you don't smoke you don't smoke a cigarette without Jesus next morning our next Dean when I came to the meeting this translator of mine said brother Zack I've given up smoking cigarettes I said really I never told anybody to give it up no he said I tried offering the Savior to Jesus and maybe he wouldn't accept it so I decided I'm gonna give up see that's the thing that's taking the yoke II took it seriously I don't want to do something which I can't do it fellowship the Jesus Christ I don't want to go and visit someplace if I can't take Jesus with me there no whether it's a movie theater or any place I don't want to walk I don't want to watch something on my computer screen of Jesus sitting next to me says hey interesting he gets up and goes I'm gonna turn off my computer I don't wanna watch it this is what means take my yoke upon you just walk with me don't go I had a bead on coffee and your life will be one of rest and I get to tell you my testimony that's exactly what happens and his yoke is easy his burden is light it's not a heavy burden to give up pornography it's not a heavy burden to stop watching though they are rated movies no no it's not a burden my yoke is easy my burden is light problems arise for those people who go to places where Jesus would not go sit watching things that Jesus would not watch do things that Jesus they cannot do in fellowship to Jesus and what a wonderful thing it is to be at rest all the time see I have taught in our churches that if your heart is not addressed you must not open your mouth and speak because that unrest will come forth in something you say even when you are preaching a sermon one of the most important things I ensure when I get up to speak in a meeting is my heart is at rest my heart is not at rest I can have all the knowledge in the world I will not any find me something will come out maybe one sentence it's not spoken from rest so I've taught in our churches at home for example if you're agitated in your spirit husband and wife zip your mouth and unzip it only after you've come to rest even if it means you keep quiet for a half a day your partner wonder what one does what's wrong there are hundreds that's all but you don't have a clash you don't have a fight this is simple principle but I'm at unrest keep your watch out whether it's in a house or in a meeting for any situation no I am NOT a wrestler I remember the early days when I tried to follow this room it took me a little time in a meeting sometimes to come to rest but because I was in jockey eating I could continue the prayer time until I get the rest everybody wonders why I'm having a long prayer time today it has not come to rest in his spirit yet and he can't it's not good to speak yet so I came to rest and I say I'm in you know I'll get up and give the word but in the early days it's like that it takes a little time but over a period of time if you work with it you're addressed all the time you're never around rest all the time you live in a perpetual Sabbath and you know you don't even spiritually speaking you even pick up sticks you obey that law there is a Sabbath rest for God's people I wanna encourage you grow this and sisters to pursue this to have no confidence in the flesh and enter into God's rest it is for every one of us in his presence there is fullness of joy let's pray Heavenly Father please apply these truths here wonderful theories but make them apply in our life door to show us that we are thinking that we can experience the reality of these truths every single day about my unless everybody here at all you trade experiencing this Jesus made me out hi

Channel: NCCF Church

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Keywords: NCCF, CHRISTIAN, ZAC POONEN

Id: M6nRbHFVBWs

Length: 61min 24sec (3684 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 05 2018